Doreen Carwithen Concerto for Piano and Strings, Live in Hill Auditorium, Multi-Angle Video

Alissa Freeman, piano
Dean Whiteside, conductor
Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra
Dave Schall, recording, editing, mixing

Doreen Carwithen (1922-2003) was an English composer of both film and classical music. In addition to being a composer, she was also a pianist and wrote several works for piano, including this concerto. This work is in a similar vein to some of Korngold's, who also blended the sounds of film and classical music, though the piano writing demonstrates is not dissimilar to Rachmaninov. The majestic melodies, coupled with brilliant passagework make this a remarkable piece of music as a whole. The second movement features a luxurious violin solo that creates a duet between the violinist (Blythe Allers) and pianist. Notably, Carwithen was also a violinist.

This video was released with approval from the William Alwyn Foundation, which owns the rights for Carwithen's works. The Michigan Recording Project, created by the University of Michigan's Piano Department, funded the release of the recording. This recording was released in 2022, during the composer's centenary.

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